Fantastic beasts 2

Crimes of Grindelwald

Crimes of Grindelwald is the second movie in the fantastic beast continuity and the 10th in the larger Potterverse. The movie is set in 1927, 6 months after the first one and almost a century before Harry Potter steals our heart.

While the first movie, “Fantastic beasts and where to find them” was more for entertainment value and tried to avoided too much unknown information, the sequel took a complete 180. The story is less a sequel to the first and more like a prequel to Harry Potter and the deathly hallows. This of course creates a mixture of feeling depending on the viewer.

The movie is penned by J.K Rowling who perhaps was most suited since it's her world. Rather than focusing on the questions raised in the prequel, the story is mainly focused on the heritage of credence and looks at the relationship between Dumbledore and Grindelwald. The beginning of the movie is satisfying and it slowly but surely builds up to quite the end. It has enough magic and mystic creatures to satisfy the title fantastic beasts.

As for the characters, j. K. Rowling stretched herself introducing known characters from the potter lore and unknown ones. The starring quartet from the first film barely are in the movie as focus shifts to other unfamiliar faces. Johnny Depp pulls out a good villain show as Grindelwald with his usual flair for a villain who was less than convincing. Jude law as Dumbledore was a pitch perfect casting and you will want to see more of him. Eddie Redmayne reprised the role of Newt and pulled an impressive performance. The supporting cast include Dan Fogler who steals all his scenes as Jacob Kowalski and Ezra Miller as Credence Barebone, the obscurial from the first movie.

The director David Yates had a good show with the impressive vfx and hugely impressive set designs we have come to expect from the Wizarding world. The movie itself is gripping, witty with a handful of dramatic undertone.

On the downside, the movie is packed, too packed. Even potterheads might have a hard time packaging all the information from only one viewing. The characters are a little too many without enough time and background to develop them completely. There are a few stories all told at the same time all leading up to an end where they are left to set up another sequel. The title ’crimes of Grindelwald’ is not quite suited as only introductions to the villain is done and no real threat is addressed.

All in all, the movie is not bad to say the least It’s magical. It has its issues as do all of them, but it's entertaining and if you happen to understand the story without expecting the Potterverse to remain as rigid, you will get your money's worth.